The Legend of Zelda: Fist of Darkness
by HeroofDark
Summary: Five years after Ocarina of Time, a new darkness threatens Hyrule. Link must stop this evil to save Hyrule, the world, and the one thing more important to him than anything else: the woman he loves. Note: Contains MAJOR SPOILERS for MM and OoT. Please R
1. Prologue: Fall of Light

_**The Legend of Zelda: **__**Fist of Darkness  
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**_**_Part One: Legacy  
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**_  
_**_**Prologue: Fall of Light**_

Link stood at a precipice, caught between two deadly situations. The first, and most apparent, was the drop that seemed to go on, down to oblivion, and death. The other was the evil behemoth that was staring at him, deciding what painful death the Hero of Time would suffer.

The monster's name was Feranilak. He was a dark creature summoned into the land of Hyrule by a dark sorcerer named Ithilindia. He had a huge, muscle-bound, large, black body, and wore armor made of Granescene, an element found in the depths of hell, and infused with a mix of dragon's blood and demon souls, which he had forged in the black fires of the Netherworld. He bore a two-pronged staff christened "Demansial", given to him by Ithilindia, which shot dark lightning, and enabled him instantaneous teleportation to the different realms of Hyrule.

None of that mattered now, of course, seeing as the fabled Hero of Time was about to be turned into a charbroiled addition to the list of souls Feranilak had slain. Before Link, the monster had killed the sages, including Princess Zelda, thus obtaining the Triforce of Wisdom. After that, he went into the Dark World and obtained the Triforce of Power from Ganondorf before murdering the King of Evil as well. He was now well on his way to completing the Triforce for his master.

Link, sweaty and bloody from his lost battle, collapsed from exhaustion. His opponent smirked. Both knew the battle was over. Feranilak raised Demansial and charged it with dark energy, preparing to vanquish his last foe.

Link knew what was going to happen. Using the last of his strength, he raised his bow, notched a Light Arrow, and let it fly. The arrow struck. The "Hammer of Justice" caused terrible pain upon its target, giving Link precious time to escape. Adrenaline energized him, and Link sprinted to the cliff, and a (hopefully) less painful death. When Feranilak recovered, he saw Link racing towards the edge. Bellowing a cry of rage, Feranilak tried to give chase, but it was too late.

Link, trusting in the fates, and in his heart, knew this was the only way. Feranilak was after the Triforce of Courage, and, by jumping, Link would deny the piece. He heard a bellow of rage from behind, and knew there was still hope for Hyrule. He leapt.


	2. Chapter 1: Hero of Time

**_Chapter One: Hero of Time_**

Link woke up with a start. He was drenched in cold sweat, and his mind was numb. He vaguely recalled his nightmare, which, he could remember, always ended with his leap. He had this recurring nightmare many times now, though each time he was aware of more. The first time, he only remembered a fuzzy, black mass, and the sensation of falling. Even now, his memories of the dream slipped away from him until he could only remember a dark thing that had an aura of evil, and falling.

Link felt a strange sense of premonition, and had no idea why. Then he realized the cause. The last time he had a recurring dream like this, he had ended up saving Hyrule from a monster named Ganon, who was created when the Great King of Evil, Ganondorf, used the Triforce of Power to transform into a being of great darkness in the hopes of slaying Link and Princess Zelda.

Link sighed. It was now five years since the events of his quest. In what he frequently referred to as the Quest of Time, he frequently used a legendary blade, the Master Sword, to travel to two different key points in his lifetime: When he was ten years old, and only starting his quest; and when he was seventeen, and the Hero of Time. After his destiny was fulfilled, and Ganondorf was sealed away in the Dark Realm, he was told by Princess Zelda to return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time. He did this, and it was at this point that Navi, his faithful and informative, if sometimes annoying, companion through his adventure parted ways with him. After this, he went into Hyrule Castle for a final meeting with the Princess of Destiny.

After his meeting, Link started to resume the life he had put on hold when he started his quest. That is, until he decided to look for Navi, who he had believed to be in the Lost Woods. Link went searching for his friend, and it was here that he was sidetracked into the land of Terminia. Here he set off on another quest to save this land from the impending collision of a strange-looking moon, and discovered a relic called Majora's Mask. After finding out it had possessed a Skull Kid that was the catalyst that set off this whole new adventure for Link, he was determined to save this new world.

After defeating Majora's Mask on the moon, Link found out from the Skull Kid that Navi had been there just a few days ago. Link, with a new determination to find his friend, set off on a new adventure to find her. By the time he had returned to Hyrule, he was a full-grown adult, and Ganon had just been defeated, and his "other self" had just been sent back in time.

After Link came back to Hyrule as an adult, he spent five years living a normal life. Well, as normal as it could get for him. He now lived in Hyrule Castle, where he was treated as royalty. Actually, he was. Since the King, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, had died, and now that Ganondorf was imprisoned, he and Zelda were officially the rulers of Hyrule. In addition, the head scribes were chronicling his quest to stop Ganondorf. He was, at the time, Hyrule's most eligible bachelor. For the first time in a long time, Link was content. That had changed, once these dreams started plaguing him.

Link groggily shook his head. It was late at night in the castle. He was wide awake, thanks to his nightmare, and thought it might be a good idea to take a nighttime stroll around the castle.


	3. Chapter 2: Princess of Destiny

_**Chapter Two: Princess of Destiny**_

Princess Zelda strolled along the Inner Garden path in Hyrule Castle's courtyard. Once upon a time, this place had led to a garden that she had all to herself. In this garden, she would often look through a window that had a good view of her father's court. It was in that garden that she had first met Link. Back then, she was a young, innocent girl. She had believed that two ten year-old children could stop the insidious designs of the king of a race of thieves to get the Triforce from the Sacred Realm. Of course, they failed as children, but seven years later, they did defeat him, bringing peace to Hyrule.

After Ganondorf's defeat, reconstruction had begun. Ganon's castle, although destroyed, had warped the land around it. And there were spells placed there by Ganondorf that ensured the reshaping of the land to be a difficult task. Even now, five years later, Hyrule Castle was still under construction. Zelda was unsure of whether or not she wanted the castle to be changed back to its original state.

Aside from the castle, though, there was another thing that she had been wondering about. A child. Both Link and Zelda needed to pass their blood down, in case Ganondorf ever came back. Zelda would have happily chosen Link, and Link Zelda, were it not for the fact that both of them knew that there needed to be two different-blooded descendants, in order to separate the two.

If Ganondorf ever came back, they would need to be hidden, because his first goal would be to obtain the other Triforce pieces. And if he found one, and the other was closely related, Ganondorf would have little problem finding the other. Besides, if there was one descendant for both of them, I would be confusing as to how they would be both the Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Time.

Zelda sighed. Now was not the time to be worrying about such things. She was supposed to have taken this walk to clear her head, not fill it with concerns.

"Couldn't sleep, milady?" Link's voice carried to a surprised Zelda, who immediately turned towards him.

"Link! I wasn't expecting to meet you here!" In fact, she thought she was the only one who stayed up late in Hyrule Castle, aside from the guards. She actually liked being alone, but company every so often was good.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you here either. But, there was something I wanted to talk to you about anyways," Link replied, and then asked "What do you know about prophetic dreams?"

"Only that we both had some when we were young, at the beginning of the Imprisoning War, they are all unique to the person having them, and all of mine were slightly ambiguous, like the one I had about you and Ganondorf," Zelda replied.

"Strange. When I had mine during that time, they foretold actual events."

Zelda pondered this, and then stated "So each person has prophecies unique to themselves. We've already established this. Why are you asking about prophecies anyway, Link?"

"I've been having them again; new ones this time." Link answered.

"What were they about?" asked Zelda.

"Well, all I can really remember is that I'm facing something evil. I don't know what it is, though, but it doesn't have the same kind of aura that Ganondorf did. Anyways, in the end I end up falling. I know that I know some background information in my sleep, but I forget it immediately after I wake up," replied Link. He continued on to say "I'm concerned. The dream seems to take place in the near future, and if I die, who will take my place if Ganondorf returns?"

"Perhaps it is just a recurring dream, or someone with a sinister plan is putting ideas into your head to confuse you," Zelda said, not really answering Link's question.

"Maybe, but I don't think so. I have the same sense of premonition about these that I had when I was ten and having the dreams about you and Ganondorf," Link replied.

Zelda, who didn't want to talk about this, tried to finish the discussion. "Listen, I'm getting kind of tired. Perhaps we could talk about this tomorrow. If it makes you feel better, I can even arrange for a psychic to examine you tomorrow."

Link thought about this, and then accepted. "Thank you, milady; that would be nice." Link turned and left.

Zelda sighed. She didn't really like it when Link, who should be her husband, were it not for the circumstances, used formalities with her. She reminded herself to take care of that, too, tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 3: The Prophecy

**_Chapter Three: The Prophecy_**

"Lie on the bed, and put your head on the pillow; relax, but don't fall asleep," said the psychic. "Doing that will disrupt the spiritual energies, and they will stay in your head rather than pass through to me." She explained. "Hold on for a minute, and we will begin. I simply need to prepare."

She moved towards a shelf of candles, and asked "Link, when did you first have these dreams?"

"I can't give you an exact date, but it was during the week three fortnights ago that I remember them," Link responded.

"Very good. Now, if you would like me to, I will describe what I am doing. Some of my former patients have found it more relaxing to have a play-by-play description. What about you?" asked the psychic.

"Personally, I'd rather you just did you work. I have no preference for a long description," answered Link.

"Okay, have it your way," replied the psychic. She moved towards him and sat down on a chair behind his head. "Relax as much as you can, but remember, don't fall asleep."

"I'll do my best," Link replied.

"Good," said the psychic, and she placed her hands on both sides of Link's head. Then, she muttered some ancient words to invoke her power, and the dream flashed into both of their minds.

The darkness in the dream started to transfer from Link to the psychic. The psychic started to convulse, the result of not having the power to bear the immense dark energy pouring out from Link. Then, he heard them. Ancient words came out of the psychic's mouth, but these were not her words. With these words there came a feeling of malevolence, cruelty, and evil. A black aura enveloped them both, and Link, for the first time since his battle with Ganondorf, felt despair from a power far grater than his own.

Then he heard the words with clarity. "**_Dominas threxin wondot, evinax frantical freminthal Ithilindia eth unital nusomm etin_**." Upon finishing the sentence, the psychic released Link from her grasp, and the dark aura swept into her. A second later, she burst into flame, setting the hut on fire.

Link ran to the door and tried to open it, but it was stuck. Link frantically bashed the door with his shoulder, but only wound up getting a splinter in his shoulder. He frantically tried to come up with a new plan, but nothing came to him. Link tried kicking the door open, but it wouldn't budge. The door was too strong. There was only one more option: to wait until the door burned enough to weaken its integrity, making it possible to break open.

Suddenly, the door burst open, towards the inside. Link mentally kicked himself for not thinking to try pulling on the door. The person who opened the door was one of the Hylian guards that lived in this village. He stood in the opening. "Is anyone alive in there?" the guard shouted.

"Yes! I'm afraid the person with me didn't make it, though," Link shouted back through the haze of smoke. "Hold on, I'll be out in a second."

Link ran out of the hut, just before the roof collapsed. "Thanks for breaking down the door. I couldn't have done it myself," he gasped.

"What happened in there?" asked the guard.

"It caught fire," responded Link.

"Obviously, but how?" asked the guard.

"Dark powers. Give me a second to catch my breath, and come with me to Hyrule Castle. There we will meet with Princess Zelda, and everything will be explained," answered Link.

"Princess Zelda? Wait, you're the Hero of Time, aren't you?" asked the guard. "Okay, just lead the way" he finished, and the two departed the scene.


	5. Chapter 4: A Dark Omen

**_Chapter Four: A Dark Omen_**

"So, the dream was a premonition after all," said Princess Zelda. Are you sure of what happened in the dream?" The two were gathered in the castle's meeting hall, along with the guard that had rescued Link, and a wise man.

"Absolutely, milady," answered Link. "I don't know why or how, but the spiritual or other energies that sent me the dream must have gone awry or something to that effect. The end result was that I remember the events in the dream, but not any of the information I knew while having the dream."

"That is both relieving and disturbing," responded Princess Zelda. "On one hand, we know what defeats you, but on the other, we don't know why it attacked you."

"I thought it was obvious," replied the wise man. "If the creature was weak to the power of the light arrow, it was evil, and thus it wanted to eliminate Link, and, I assume, anyone else who posed a threat to him."

Princess Zelda thought about that, and said "So we have a who, a what, a why, and a how. The who is this creature, the what is your defeat, the why is because it is a dark monster, and the how is- beside the point," she said, averting her eyes from Link. "What we need to know is when and where this will happen, so we can try to prevent these events that are foretold."

"Wait. We're missing something. I doubt that a dark monster would come after me just because it's evil. It must be after something."

"What are you basing this off of?" asked the wise man.

"Multiple things in the prophecy. One, the monster roars with rage when I jump off the cliff."

"That could be because he wanted to kill you personally," suggested the guard. "Anyways, how do we even know what emotions caused that roar."

"Yes, but there are other things in the dream that support my statement. Mainly, I jump off the cliff. That isn't something I'd normally do."

"What, don't you ever 'Live to fight another day'?" asked the wise man with a chuckle.

"No," answered Link. "It's something I got accustomed to during my journeys, when so many of my battles would take place in a chamber with no escape."

"And I guess that means you wouldn't take the less painful death of falling to your death, either, huh?" the guard challenged.

"Right. The only reason that I would jump is because by not dying by his hand, I would save the world, or something similar." Link responded. "But why would that be?"

A long silence followed, while everyone thought what the monster's goal could be. Finally, both Link and Zelda realized at the same time.

"The Triforce."

"Pardon me?" asked the guard.

"The monster wants the Triforce." answered Zelda.

"But that's impossible! Even if it got yours and Link's part, Ganondorf's would be safe, unless he came into this world somehow." The wise man shouted.

"Or if this monster went into the Dark World," returned Link. "If the sages were killed, then the seal might be weakened enough to transport into the Dark World. However, it would take more than just one Triforce piece to get out."

"Which is why he would kill me or you first," Zelda finished. "It would be almost a double score to get at me, because I am both the Seventh Sage and I hold the Triforce of Wisdom. He would then kill the other Sages, unless he killed them already. After that, he would either go after you or Ganondorf."

"At least we'll have a backup plan," said Link, slightly joking.

"What's that?" asked the guard.

"When someone makes a wish with the Triforce, that person will obtain a piece of the Triforce, the one that their heart is centered towards the most. The other pieces will then go to two people, chosen by destiny, whose job it is to restore harmony in Hyrule." Link explained.

"And what if they fail, will the cycle repeat?" asked the guard.

"Yes, I believe so." Zelda answered.

"And what if the monster knows of the rules of the Triforce, and wishes so that the Triforce will eternally stay in its possession?"

Zelda paused, realized she did not have an answer.

"Then may the goddesses be with us."


	6. Chapter 5: Evils of the World

**_Chapter Five: Evils of the World_**

Kaleu, the wise man from the meeting, was holed up in his library, searching for information on the monster from Link's prophecy. He had just found a reference to a monster that had purged the land of Caithbin of all life when he noticed a tome in front of him that had an aura of evil around it. Intrigued, he picked it up and looked at its spine. It was titled in a foreign, ancient tongue. He thumbed through it and, found he could translate most of the words. "Hm. It seems to be a dialect of Danithian," he said to himself. "I wonder…" His words were cut off by a sudden snapping sound coming from behind him. "Hello?" Kaleu turned around to see who was there. "Anyone here?" When no-one answered, he said "Damn. My old age is getting to my mind," and continued his work.

Five minutes later, he heard his door open. "Hello? Kaleu?" someone called.

"Yes?" he responded. "Who's there?"

"It's me, Link," came the response as Link walked beside the wise man. "I came to find out if you got anywhere with your search."

"Not yet, but I do have a promising lead." Kaleu motioned for Link to come closer to him. "This book is a history of all dark events in the history of our realm. I just found a mention of a monster named Feranilak, a creature created by dark magic who brought terror upon the realms of Danith, Calatia, Santiadin, and later, Hyrule," he explained. "It seems to match your description, but it was slain long ago, by the three great heroes of Calatia, and many magical seals were placed to prevent its resurrection. I don't see how it could have, or will, return."

"Can I see that book?" Link inquired.

"Sure, but I doubt you'll be able to read it," responded Kaleu, handing over the book.

Link took the book and looked through it for a minute. Then, he found what he was looking for. "There it is," he said, pointing to an illustration. "Feranilak is the monster that is fated to destroy me. That means that it wants the Triforce to rule the world, or something like that. I take it that this won't be the first time this has happened."

Kaleu pondered this for a moment, and then said "No. Feranilak's goal was to cause pain, torment, suffering, and death wherever he goes. He wouldn't want to rule the world; I don't think he would go for the Triforce. However, he could be serving a master-" he paused as he heard a creaking sound come from the rear of the room. "Did you hear that?" he asked Link.

"Hear what?" asked Link.

"Never mind. I think my ears are playing tricks on me. Anyways, it mentions in here that he once carried out another entity's bidding," continued Kaleu.

"What was his name?" asked Link.

"It doesn't say. The book only says 'he served the dark sorcerer of Danith, whose name brings suffering and despair, and we dare not mention,'" Kaleu answered. "Considering the book is written in a dialect of Danith's language, I would assume this sorcerer is very powerful."

"Why does the language make any difference?" asked Link.

"Danith has long been a land of shadows, where dark powers have a strong hold on the land," Kaleu explained. "I'd explain the history, but I don't have the time or energy, and I doubt you do either."

Link started to turn around. "Thanks for the info. I'll be by tomorrow to see if you find anything more." As he walked away, a long, black, barbed chain silently snaked from the ceiling, down behind Kaleu's head, and moved around his neck, out of his sight. "If you find anything more important on either the beast or the sorcerer, tell me right away. If not, well, as I said, I'll be here tomorrow." Link turned around as he was leaving the room, and saw the chain. "Kaleu! Look out!"

Unfortunately for the wise man, the weapon swiftly moved across his throat and swiftly decapitated him.

A figure, clad in a skintight black suit and mask, jumped down from the ceiling, holding the chain. With a flick of his wrist, it contracted into a sword. Link paused for a moment, amazed at this intriguing weapon. Suddenly, the assassin attacked!


	7. Chapter 6: Messenger of the Forsaken

**_Chapter Six: Messenger of the Forsaken_**

Link quickly ducked to avoid the assassin's blade. He started to rise, but went back down after seeing the assassin attack again. It seemed to Link that his day was very unlucky, especially now that he was in combat with an extremely skilled swordsman, and he did not have his gear. Cursing under his breath, he rolled towards a table. Taking cover behind it, Link scanned around and saw what he was looking for: a small alchemy lab.

Running towards it while dodging the assassin's attacks, he snatched a bottle of boiling liquid. Link threw the bottle as hard as he could at the attacker, who screamed in pain. Link used this distraction to run out of the room, and headed towards a guard. Out of breath, he leaned against the wall and gasped "Assassin… killed Kaleu… need to get to the…armory… immediately."

The guard, after a short pause, nodded and said "Understood, your lordship. I'll hold him off until you get back."

Sprinting through numerous halls, Link eventually came to the armory, where he told the two guards standing watch "I need to get my weapons. It's an emergency." The guards acknowledged, and one went in to retrieve Link's sword, shield, bombs, bow and his other weapons.

"By the way, what is the situation?" asked the guard who stayed behind.

"An assassin has made his way into the castle and killed a wise man before going after me. Last I saw him, he was fighting another guard," answered Link.

"We'll come with you!" exclaimed the guard. "You could use all the help you could get, right?"

"No," Link responded. "It's more important to man your duty station, especially if there are more of them; If there are, we can't let them get into here. But one of you needs to raise an alarm, alerting patrolling guards to the Moon tower's corridors."

The first guard returned with all of Link's weapons: his sword, shield, bow, bombs, and many of the items Link had acquired during his travels.

"Here you go, sir. Good luck," he said.

Link equipped himself for battle, and kept his bombs and bow at the ready. "Thank you," he said, and ran back to the castle.

When Link returned to the hallway where he had last seen the assassin, he saw the killer standing over the body and blood of the guard who had offered to protect Link. The assassin noticed Link and said "So, you did choose to return here. That's fifty rupees I owe the poor fool who blocked my way. I thought I'd have to track you down to kill you, but this I like more."

The assassin removed his mask, showing an aged, heavily scarred and burned face. "Allow me to introduce you to my sword. This 'Snake Sword' began as a prototype blade that acted as a "chain sword" with two forms, a standard, solid sword, and its chain blade. However, I made it much more. Using powerful black magic, I bonded it with my mind, effectively making it a part of my body. It now can do anything I command it to, including a particularly interesting attack where it- well, you'll have to find out for yourself, won't you?"

Link started to ask "How have you already healed from-"

"The bottle you threw at me?" The assassin cut him off. "I can absorb a dying person's life force. It's painless for them, and so it eases their passage while healing me from recent injuries. However, it works only to a certain extent, as I'm sure you have noticed." At this, he motioned to his facial wounds, including a nasty-looking slash that ran from the right corner of his mouth, across his right eye, up to his forehead. "Now, let's see if you are as good as they say you are, or at least as good as you were."

At this the assassin brought his sword to an offensive stance, while Link readied his sword and shield.

4


	8. Chapter 7: Flash of the Blade

**_Chapter Seven: Flash of the Blade_**

Link was the first to attack. He brought his sword up and leapt at the assassin, then brought his sword down on the descent in order to get more power into his strike. It was an attack he had learned a long time ago, before his travels to stop Ganondorf, and it had proven very useful against many of his enemies, even to the monstrous Ganon himself.

Unfortunately, the "jump attack" was a slow-moving attack, and that proved to be its fallacy. The assassin easily dodged it and slashed at Link, who, in one fluid motion, raised his shield to block the attack, rolled sideways, and swiped at the assassin. He hopped over the attack, which gave Link time to get to his feet and immediately thrust his blade while rising.

The assassin parried the blow and answered with a stab with his own sword. Interestingly, with the unique "Snake Sword", the attack was no effort for the assassin, as the sword itself extended towards Link, going into its chain state. Link, although surprised by how smoothly the weapon did this, side-stepped to dodge the attack. The blade then retracted back to its sword form. Link then slashed horizontally at the assassin, but his opponent merely bent backwards to dodge the blow. The assassin then raised his sword to attack Link, but he back flipped to dodge the blow.

The two opponents then started circling each other. "I'm impressed. Most people wouldn't be able to keep up with those attacks, let alone get some attacks in," the assassin told Link.

"Then there's one thing you should know. I'm not most people. But then, you should know that already," Link responded. "You're obviously not from around here; otherwise you'd know just how good I am. But, even so, you should have been informed about my fighting prowess by whoever sent you to kill me. So tell me, who sent you?"

"That is something you will have the privilege of finding out if you kill me, although I highly doubt that you will." The assassin answered. "But, no progress will be made towards that if we stand here talking." He then switched his sword into its chain state and started spinning it in front of him, making a seemingly impenetrable shield. "Let's see you beat this, 'Hero'!" the assassin shouted, and charged towards Link, keeping up the barrier.

However, Link had something in mind for a tactic like this. He carefully drew a bomb, and rolled it towards the spinning blade. It blew up as soon as it made contact, throwing the assassin back. Right away, Link made a running leap towards the assassin, and positioned his sword so it would be planted on impact. The assassin rolled away just in time, though, and the "sword plant" missed, getting the sword stuck in the floor. The assassin got up just as Link yanked the sword out.

Both combatants got to their feet at the same time, and started attacking each other, but soon found they were matching each other blow-for-blow. After a while, Link jumped back, and the assassin tried to strike him with the sword in its chain state. Link raised his sword to deflect it, but the chain wrapped around the blade instead, and the assassin, with a twitch of his arm, sent it flying from Link's hand.

The assassin immediately charged at Link, but he calmly took out his bow and shot the assassin in the foot. The strike made the assassin stagger and fall down, giving Link time to pick up his sword. When Link turned around, though, the assassin was right in front of him, sword raised so he could bring it down on Link's head. Without thinking, Link dropped his sword and caught the blade in between his palms as it was descending.

Using all of his strength, Link managed to keep the blade away from his head, but the assassin was relentless. The blade's pressure cut Link's right palm, and blood ran down his arm. Link, seeing he was losing this struggle, got desperate, and an idea came to him. He kneed the assassin in the chest, knocking the wind out of him, making his force on the sword weaken, and Link, with one great shove, pushed the assassin away. Link then picked up his sword and slashed the stunned assassin across the chest. The assassin screamed in pain, and then, his voice filled with rage, growled "You think you're pretty damn clever, don't you?!"

"I do what it takes to win," Link answered.

"Let's see just how clever you feel after I've cut you to ribbons!" the assassin roared.

The assassin then held his sword with both hands and raised it straight up. It began pulsing with a black energy that Link could only guess at the nature of. After about a minute of this, he brought it down, and shouted "Now you will know the true meaning of suffering!"

The assassin held his sword straight in front of him. Then, something amazing happened. The sword switched into its chain state, and then each individual section detached from the others and flew towards Link. Link instinctively raised his shield to block them, but the blades split up and moved to surround Link. There they stayed still, until the assassin uttered a command: "Kill him." Immediately, they all charged at Link.

Link instantly used his sword and shield to deflect the attacking blades, but they seemed to be coming at him faster and faster, and they all came back for another attack. In addition to this, he was already exhausted from the fight. Still, he lasted longer than he would have thought he was capable of. After a few minutes of the endless barrage, the first blade found its mark. It slashed his left shoulder, opening up a large gash. After that, one ripped through his right shoulder, shredding his rotator cuff, rending his right arm useless. Another blade, this one spinning, drove right through Link's left leg, spraying blood and opening a hole in his leg. He screamed in pain. Blade after blade struck him. He fell down, and suddenly, he felt no more attacks.

Link managed to get to his knees and looked up. The blades were surrounding him, positioned to kill him in an instant, but didn't attack. "I'm impressed," said the assassin. "I don't think I've seen anyone last that long against my blade barrage. Because of this, I'll tell you something. Earlier, you asked me who I was sent by. My master is the rightful ruler of the land of Danith, and the rest of the world. His name is Ithilindia, and he wants you dead for the Triforce you possess. I don't know what that is, but I do what I'm told, no questions asked because, well, that's my policy.

"I believe that would answer your question, so, it's time for your end. Good-bye."

In this moment, the blades towards Link, but he was ready for them. Moving with supernatural speed, he rose up and spun his sword around, making a magical aura emanate from his sword. His "sword spin" attack worked. All the blades were destroyed upon hitting the blue barrier.

The assassin was shocked. His most powerful attack was just nullified, his sword was destroyed, and his target was still alive. He started to run away, but Link was too fast. Link tackled the assassin, and knelt on him, pinning down the assassin. Link raised his sword up, and said "Looks like I am as good as they said I am." Link then positioned his sword in a reverse grip, and buried it in the assassin's head.

Link, exhausted from exertion, loss of blood, and shock, took a few steps and collapsed, slipping in and out of death.

7


	9. Chapter 8: Rise of Evil

_**Chapter Eight: Rise of Evil**_

_**Evil's Keep, Danith**_

"So, Belfanst failed to kill the Hero of Time," said a dark figure to a minion of his, an unlucky soul who had been chosen as a messenger for this occasion.

"Yes, my lord."

"Then the Triforce of Courage is still strong within the Hero of Time," the figure concluded.

"I would assume so, my lord."

"Then Belfanst's mission was a success."

"My Lord?"

"I sent him on a suicide mission, to see if the Hero was still mighty," the figure explained. "I wanted him to test the Hero, to see all of his techniques. At the end of the battle, Belfanst would either have the Triforce of Courage, or be dead."

"And Belfanst did die, my lord, so how was his mission a success?" the minion said, again not understanding.

"I only wanted to see if the Hero was strong. Since Belfanst died, I received my answer. Now leave, and bring this message to General Krynus. Tell him to prepare the army for an invasion."

"But sir, how do you know his power? You have no knowledge of his technique or abilities. Are you sure you're not being hasty?"

"Last I checked you were my servant, not my advisor."  
"I'm sorry, your lordship, but I don't understand your decision," the messenger hastily said, out of fear of being sent down to the dungeons, or into the bowels of hell itself.

"Comprehension is not a prerequisite of cooperation."

"I am sorry, my lord," the messenger apologized. "I will not question you again."

"Good. Now leave, and send the message. I shall soon conquer the land of Hyrule, and gain the powers of the Triforce for myself. Long have I studied it, its powers, and the legends about it. The time has come for me to obtain it for myself. But before we depart, there is one more thing I must do. I need to reawaken my most powerful servant and friend, one other whose power rivals that of the gods. I must summon Feranilak."

_**Hyrule Castle**_

Link woke up on a stiff bed in a dimly lit and unfamiliar room. Startled, he quickly rose, but a great pain overcame him, and he fell back. Slowly, Link rose up, and examined his surroundings. There was a row of beds on both sides of the room, some occupied with people fast asleep.

Link surmised he was in the castle's infirmary, and his assumption was confirmed when a healer came in to check on the patients.

"Ah! I see you're up, my lord. How are you feeling?" he inquired.

"Sore, aching, raw. Did I mention sore?" answered Link bitterly.

"That's to be expected."

"What happened?" asked Link.

"A guard found you, another guard, and a strange man in one of the castle halls. The guard and man were dead. You were rushed into here, and one of our surgeons operated on you to remove blade shards we found buried in your skin. There will be an inquiry tomorrow about what happened. Until then, I suggest you get plenty of rest until then. Here's a potion to help you sleep if you need it."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

Link took the potion and drank it, and the healer started to leave, then doubled back to make sure that Link was asleep. He was. The healer took a phial of a foul dark liquid from the inside of his robe, opened Link's mouth, and poured it in. When it was empty, he put the bottle back into one of his pockets and left.

_**Evil's Keep**_

"Ithilindia! Why do you disturb my slumber?"

Ithilindia moved towards Feranilak, who he had just summoned from the nether realms. "It is time, one again, to conquer the realms of the world that belong to us." He answered.

"Is that so… Do you have a new plan?" Feranilak asked. "After the failure of your last idea, I hope it is a good one."

"Relax, my friend. I have come to know of a power that can grant us anything our hearts desire."

"You will wish for total domination?" asked Feranilak.

"Of course not! How much fun would that be? I will simply increase our power as much as possible!" Ithilindia answered. "We shall become more powerful than the gods! The whole world will fall before our feet!"

"And isn't that what you said before the last time you attempted to 'conquer the world'?" questioned Feranilak. "You believed that immortality was the key to our success, and that we would have no trouble in taking over. Not long afterwards was I slain and you imprisoned. If not for that fool releasing you on that fateful day, I believe we never would have escaped our fates."

"I suppose you have a reason to be cynical about this plan," Ithilindia admitted, "but I assure you, there will be no failing this time."

"And how do you know that?"

"I don't. However, I have complete faith in it, and that is all I need."

"Hmph." Feranilak snorted, unimpressed. "Tell me about this power."

"The power that I seek is known as the Triforce, and it is split into three parts," Ithilindia explained. "Those parts are held by three people in the land of Hyrule. They have had some… interesting history, one that I don't have complete knowledge of. But I do know that there was once a great conflict between them. One was trying to obtain all the parts, but the other two stopped him and he was sealed in another realm."

"Did he betray the other two?" Feranilak asked. "It sounds like the three people are guardians of the power, or are charged with a similar task."

"Somewhat. I don't know the full story, but the evil one, Ganondorf, obtained one part of the force, and the other two were chosen to get the other two parts."

"So, what's the plan? Free Ganondorf and ally with him against the other two?"

"No. I have another idea." answered Ithilindia.

"What's that?" Feranilak asked.

"Kill them all and take the Triforce for ourselves." Ithilindia answered.

"I like that idea." Feranilak smiled.


End file.
